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(NoModeL) H. W. BREGKENRIDGE.

SWITGH FOR TELEPHONE EXCHANGES.

No. 252,421. 2 Patented Jan. 17,1882.

N/VITNESSESI L' I" E'EINVENTCD R:

' lhvrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY'W. BRECKENRIDGE, on rnovlnnnon, RHODE-lSLAND.

SWITCH FOR TELE-IJDHONE-EXCHANGESP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 252,421, dated January 17', 1882.

' Application filed July 22, 1881. (No model.

To' all whom it may] concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY VVrBRECKEN- RIDGE, of the city and county of Providence,

State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement-in Switches for Tele-,

or removing it from any of a number of subscribers lines terminating at the central office of a telephone-exchange, its object being to enable the circuit connection and disconnection of the telephone with and from the several lines to be effected without interrupting the continuity of said lines, and to facilitate the connection of differentsubscribers lines A with each other.

connecting switch-boards, which may be of any ordinary or suitable construction, and it may be regarded as a modification of the listening-operator system, relieving the listening operator of the close application of keeping his ear always to his telephone, and enabling him to receive a signal or call by means of any suitable devices, and then ascertain the subscribers wants and communicate the same to the various lineconnecting switch-board operators in order that the desired connections may be made. t

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a transverse section of the telephone supplewhich supports the switches, and'B a series of metallic posts, each of whichhas a portion ot'lts length insertedin an apertnrein the board,

, and itsinnerendprovided with abinding-screw and washers inthe ordinary manner, as shown at b. A portion of each post projects in front of the board, and is bifurcated to receive the metallic base (2 of ajack, O,'which is pivoted thereto,and is provided with two curved arms,

, 61 and d, projecting in opposite directions, so

that they may be swung into contact respectively with metallic spring-arms 1) and D, which project from the face of the board on opposite sides of the jack, each being connected with a separate metallic bolt, as at f and f extending through the board. and providedwith a binding-nut and washer for securing a wire in the usual manner, as at f The board may be provided witlrany convenient number ofjacks and contact-springs, and

, inpractice may be arranged for connection with each of the subscribers lines terminating atthe several line-connecting switch-boards D are left free the inner surfaces of these extensions d will bear against'said rod.

A wire, F, (shown in Fig. 3,) connects all the postsf at the back of the board, and leads to'one of the binding-posts of the telephone T, from the other binding-post of which a wire, F, leads to the rod E.

The subscribers lines L, entering thecentral, oftice, are respectively connected to the posts B, which support the jacks O, and from each boltf, which is connected with a spring, D, a wire, L, leads to aline-connectingswitchboard. If one hundred and fifty iines' enter the central office they might all be connected with thejacks, as described, ot' a single telephone switch-board, and their continuations that is, the wires L might be connected by groups of fifty each with three ditferent lineconnectin g switch-boards, so that one telephone-operator could receive the calls and give the necessary directions to all the connecting switch-operators, and even to a greater number than I have mentioned simply forillustration.

The operation of theinvention is as follows: The jacks O of the telephone switch-board are all nominally turned to the position shown in Fig. 2, so that the arms-d strike the springs D", forcing said arms outwardly,so that their extensions d are carried out of contact with the rod E. The line-circuitis thus completed, as indicated by the arrows No. 1 in Fig. 2

that is, fromthe entering-line L over post B,

the arm d of jack 0, spring D, post f, and wire L to the line-connecting switch-board, which is not shown in the drawings, as any suitable apparatus for the purpose may be used-and the wires L connected therewith as line-terminals usually are. The telephone, it will be observed, is notin the line-circuit when thejack is in this position. If now a call is received by means of an electric bell or an annunciator connected with a subscribers line in the usual manner and in sight or hearing of the telephone-switch operator, he turnsthe jack 0 of that particular subscribers line on its pivot to the position shown in Fig. 1, so that the arm d will come in contact with spring D, thus including his telephone in the line in or-v der that he may communicate with the calling the spring D and its extension d, and the boltf to wire L, and on to the line-connecting switch-board. The arms d and d of the jack Gare of such length and shape that as the jack turns toward spring Dthe extension 61' of the spring D will be permitted to come in contact with the rod E, and the arm d will strike spring D before the arm d leaves thespring D, so that the new route for the electric current is established from line L to wire L through the telephone before the old one is broken, and thus is avoided any disturbance toparties using the line whenthe operator connects o'r disconnects his or her telephone. Having his telephone now in. the line-circuit, the operator 'ascertains the wants of the calling subscriber. If he desires to communicate with a subscriber on some other line, the telephone-operator repeats back the oral call in'a tone loud enough to be heard by the proper line-connecting switch-board operator, who proceeds to make the desired connection, and if the line to be connected with terminates at some other board than his own, he an ranges his switching devices and gives notice to the operator at the other switch-board accordingly.

The telephon'emperator may keep his telephone in circuit long enough to see that the proper connectionshave been made, and then remove it without interrupting the communication, as the electrical connection between line L and wire L is never broken, as has been shown, orhe may interpose his telephone at any time by means of the switch of either of two lines in communication without interi'upting the communication.

.What I claim is 1. A supplementary telephone-switch comprising a series of swinging jacks or levers of the opposite contacts, but from which conductor they are separated when they are themselves in electrical connection with thejacks, the construction ofthejacks being such that they make connection with the contacts toward which they are moved before breaking connection with those from which they are moved, substantially as described.

2. The telephone-switch herein described, consistingjof the swingingjack 0, arranged for connection to the subscribers line, and provided with the arms 01 and d, the springs Dand D, arranged for connection respectively with a telephone and a switch-board, and therod E, arranged to be put in or out of connection with spring D by the action of thejack, and to be connected also with the telephone, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the jack 0, provided with the arms 61 and d, the springs D and D, and rod E, the said spring D being arranged to be driven out of and brought into connection with the rod by the action of the jack, but to be in connection with said rod and jack during a portion of the movement. of the jack in contact with the other spring, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The supplementary telephone switchboard provided with a series ofjacks, the two series, of springs arranged for alternate con- IIO .nection with said jacks, and the rod E, substan tially as described, one series of springs being electrically connected with each other and theothers arranged for individual or separate connection with and disconnection from the rod by the action of the jacks, substantially asand for thepurpose set forth.

HENRY W. BRECKENRIDGE. Witnesses: I

J. A. MILLER, J r.,

HENRY J. MILLER. 

